Eichaed d



R. D. THAGKSTON.

SELF CLOSING HATGHWAY.'

{No.Model.)

`Pabtzemed Jagn. 20, 1885.

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@A /Zm M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD D. THACKSTON, OF ST. LOUIS MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY I. COE, OF SAME PLACE.

SELF-CLOSING HATCHWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,089, dated January 2O` 1885.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may (zo/werft:

`Be it known that I, RICHARD D. THICK- sToN, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and use- 5 ful Improvement in Self-Closing Hatchways, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciication, and in which- Figure lis a section taken on line 1 I, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2, Fig. I; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3 3, Fig. l.

This invention relates to an improvement 15 in self-closing hatchways more particularly intended for fastrunning elevators.

This invention consists in an improved arrangement to open the door, and to prevent the door or doors closing too quickly, as fully 2o explained hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cage, B uprights, C doors, and D cams on the bottom of the cage.

I represents levers hinged to posts J, and

2 5 having friction-rollers I on their inner ends, against which the cams strike in opening the doors. The outer ends of the levers are connected by means of rods L to segment-s N, pivoted to the posts J, and which are con- 3o nected to the doors by chains O, or other fiexible connections. It will thus be seen that as the inner ends of the leversI are forced downward the doors will be raised, as shown in Fig. 2, and when the cage has passed the doors will close by gravity; but to prevent 35 them closing with a slain, I connect weight P to the inner part of each lever by a cord or rope, T, which preferably passes over a friction roller or pulley, U, as shown. When the cage passes, the door falls quickly to the posi- 4o tion shown in Fig. 2, (the weight, resting on a bracket, V, secured to the post J, does not interefere with the door falling rapidly this fan) and then it has to lift the weight to the position shown in Fig. l, which causes it to close gently. Ihe weight could be used on any part ofthe connection between lever and door.

I claim as my invention- I. In a self-closing hatchway, the combination of the cage, lever hinged to the support and connected to the door, weight connected to the inner part of the lever by a rope or cord, a roller over which the rope passes, and a bracket to receive the weight when the door is raised, substantially as set forth.`

2. In a self-closing hatchway, the combination of the cage, lever I, post to which the lever is pivoted, segment pivoted to the post, 'rod connecting the segment to the lever, door, and chain connecting the door to the segment, 6o substantially as set forth.

RICHARD D. THACKSTON. Y

In presence of- GEO. H. KNIGHT, BENJN. A. KNIGHT. 

